Global Comparative Public Administration, MPA

Core Courses

Students must take nine core courses, including a six-credit capstone.

• GCPA 600 Comparative Public Administration: Content and Theory
• GCPA 602 History of US Public Administration
• GCPA 603 Public Management in a Global Perspective: Theories and Principles (NEW)
• GCPA 605 Comparative Public Budgeting
• GCPA 616 Ethical Issues in Public Policy Decisions and Implementation
• PUBADM 611 E-Government: The Internet and Public Policy
• PUBADM 620 Analytic Skills I: Skills for Policy Analysis
• PUBADM 621 Analytic Skills II: Research Methods
• PUBADM 691 Capstone /Case Study Seminar

Electives

Students must take three electives. Course offerings vary each semester. See WISER for schedules and courses offered.

Other Electives

With prior approval from the Graduate Program Director, other elective courses may be approved from the:

• Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs*
• Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security, and Global Governance*
• Department of Gerontology*
• College of Management*
• Global Post-disaster Reconstruction and Management (online)
• School for the Environment*

* courses offered on-campus

Admissions

Application deadline: May 1 for fall admissions

Please refer to the Graduate Admissions website for complete details on these requirements.

• a completed application form. Download the graduate application.
• a non-refundable application fee (currently $60.00 for domestic applicants or $100.00 for international applicants: payable by credit card online [MasterCard or VISA])
• official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all colleges attended
• A current résumé noting your college(s), major(s), GPA(s) on the top of page one
• Three letters of reference, at least two of which should come from individuals who can assess the applicant’s academic preparation for advanced graduate work. Download the letter of recommendation form.
• Short writing sample (3-5 pages): Any substantial piece of academic writing of which the applicant is the sole author
• Statement of purpose (1500 words maximum) that addresses the following questions:

What are your career objectives?
How will a master’s in global comparative public administration advance those objectives?
In what ways does the UMass Boston global comparative public administration program address your particular academic, career, and personal goals?
What professional, personal, and academic experiences have especially equipped you for the challenges of pursuing a master’s degree?
What personal strengths will your bring to your studies?
What personal challenges or hurdles do you anticipate having to address in order to complete the master’s program?

• Language requirement: The proposed academic program is conducted in English. Proficiency in another language besides English is an advantage to the applicant as it makes available a wider range of international scholarship and should be noted in their application.
• All applicants having received their bachelor’s degree from a college or university outside the United States are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELT).  A  minimum TOEFL of 79 or IELTS of 6.0 is required.

Submission Procedures

The application form and application fee should be submitted online.  

All other application materials should be submitted by mail to the Office of Graduate Admissions by May 1. We prefer to receive a complete application in one mailing.